tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72783950777021162532014-10-04T20:13:51.897-04:00Against the GrainThis is my life after deciding to stop "keeping up with the Joneses" to live lean and green. I am working towards a residual stream of income while obtaining our most precious freedom - freedom of time.Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139661212370860763noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7278395077702116253.post-42858020831483773342011-06-23T12:58:00.001-04:002011-06-23T14:10:18.078-04:00What started it all….<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What in the world would entice someone who worked at a fortune 10 company to quit their job and start chasing their dreams?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QIdIEUMNrJs/TgNvgKL0TgI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/T08JOX_vVOc/s1600/4+hour+work+week.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QIdIEUMNrJs/TgNvgKL0TgI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/T08JOX_vVOc/s1600/4+hour+work+week.bmp" /></a></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yes, the 4 hour work week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The greatest book you haven’t read. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I specifically remember listening to some colleagues at lunch discussing only having to work 25 more years and they can retire and live the good life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>25 more years? <u><strong>Hell no! Not me!</strong></u> I could hardly get through the <strong><u>day</u></strong> without wanting to gouge my own eye balls out. A few days later I was at Barnes and Nobel for my weekly stock piling of audio books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>I was traveling a lot for work and loved to listen to audio books while in the car. I never read (or listen to) fiction, only the real stuff. I went directly to the personal finance / self improvement section and there it was. The book that now looking back, I would have never known would change my life.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I listened it felt as though Tim Ferriss was talking directly to ME. I listened to the book over and over again for the next several months. His words shook the very core of my being. I laughed, I cried, but most importantly, I dreamed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Ferriss discusses the concept of mini retirements taken throughout life (work a month and then take a month off), rather than waiting for the golden egg that may never come after 40 years of working.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>He introduced having freedom of time and location while making a great income.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><strong>PEOPLE DO IT! YOU can do it</strong>. We are not supposed to be chained to a desk for 10 hours a day working on TPS reports and attending pointless meetings. My life is flying by!! The months feel so short! I thought if I could meet my ridiculously complex quota every month, I could figure out a way to make this work. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>So what did I do? I quit - mortgage and all. I quit my corporate job for a position that allowed me to work from home for half the pay. With using some of his techniques in the book I easily gained 20 hours per week of my life back, and with my new found free time I am currently working on my muse (you have to read the book to understand). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At bare minimum by reading this book you will learn ways to get an extra two weeks of vacation, and/or negotiate working one day a week from home. Or.....you can take the plunge like I did. Don’t be scared….it feels wonderful!</span></div><span style="font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;, &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The message of this blog: <u><strong>GET THE BOOK!</strong></u> It just might change your life</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br /></div>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139661212370860763noreply@blogger.com3